Category: Greece videos
(page 1 of 9)

This short film offers a short but sweet tour of what its producer, Fist AK Productions, describes as “one of the most beautiful areas of Greece.”

More Mani: Regular readers might recall my Magical moments in the Mesa Mani post last summer, in which I shared a video and travel information links for a region of Greece that truly fascinates and intrigues me — the rugged Mani peninsula of the Peloponnese. I mentioned that the Mani was on our bucket list of places to see, and in fact it was on a short list of destinations we were considering for our upcoming spring holiday. We ultimately chose an island for our next trip, but still intend to make it to the Mani.

While I was organizing bookmarked articles and photos of the Mani to keep for future reference, I discovered a short video that had been published on Vimeo in March, by Fist AK Productions. Rather than relegate it to a bulging bookmarks folder where I could easily overlook or even lose it, I’m sharing the short film here, along with a pair of older clips that I was going to file away as well — just in case any of my readers might be planning a Mani visit themselves.

In background notes posted with this film, fabdrone observes that “Until recent years many Mani villages could be reached only by sea. Today a narrow and winding road extends along the west coast from Kalamata to Areopoli, then south to Akrotainaro (the pointy cape which is the most southward soil of continental Greece) before it turns north toward Gytheio. Another road, that is used from the public buses in the line Piraeus – Mani and exists several decades now, comes from Tripoli through Sparta, Gytheio, Areopoli and ends in the Gerolimenas port near Cape Matapan.”

Oh My Greece! Unlock the Feeling is a new promotional video by DiscoverGreece

Unlocked and loaded: I’ve got to wait more than two months before my next holiday trip to Greece, but a new promotional video released today (February 20) has made me feel like I’m already there.

Oh My Greece! Unlock the Feeling is a production of DiscoverGreece, the online information and promotion platform for Greece tourism.

It’s only 2 minutes long, but the clip does a terrific job of capturing what it feels like to be in Greece, with inviting looks at spectacular sea, beach, coast and mountain scenery, as well as glimpses of olive tree groves, vineyards, sights in Athens, the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Seitan Limani beach on Crete, and the marvellous rock formations at Meteora. Quick peeks at food, wine and ouzo will whet your travel appetite as well.

Give it a watch — it’s a great way to take your mind off winter and imagine that you’re relaxing somewhere in Greece in summer instead.

This film by Studios Trasias captures breathtaking views of snow-covered Nymfaio, a traditional mountain settlement in the Florina region of northern Greece. It’s regarded as one of the most beautiful villages in Europe.

Alpine gem: When winter storms brought freezing temperatures and snowfalls to many parts of Greece this week, my social media newsfeeds quickly filled with photos and videos of snowy scenes from places as diverse as Ancient Messenia, Kalavrita, Meteora, Arachova and Thessaloniki, and such islands as Kefalonia, Evia, Skopelos, Skyros, Lesvos and Crete.

The winter wonderland scenery in many of the images looked impressive, but far more striking are the scenes in this film of Nymfaio, which I stumbled upon today while researching for another blog post I’m writing.

Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters on a ridge of Mount Vitsi in the northern Greece region of Florina, Nymfaio has been inhabited since 1385. It is often described as looking like something out of a fairy tale, and it has been named to lists of the most beautiful and most picturesque villages both in Greece and in all of Europe. From the opening seconds of the video, it’s easy to see why — Nymfaio looks simply picture postcard perfect under a crisp blanket of fresh snow.

Though it’s a year-round travel destination, Nymfaio isn’t a place you can easily visit for a quick look-see — roughly a 7-hour drive north of Athens, it’s well off the main tourist routes in the southern half of Greece. (It’s much closer to and easier to reach from the cities of Ioannina and Thessaloniki, which are less than 2 hours’ driving distance.) But this alpine gem certainly appears to be well worth the trek, particularly for visitors who have already seen or who want to avoid the busy tourist magnets like Athens or the islands.

If you’ve become intrigued by Nymfaio and want to learn more about it, here are links to websites and blogs offering photos and detailed information about the village:

♦ The Discover Greece article Nimfaio, The Mountain Nymph of Stone and Snow includes photographs and information about accommodations in and near the village, which the Greek tourism website describes as “one of the best winter holiday destinations in Greece”;

♦ the Visit Greece article A Fairytale Escape to Nimfaio in Florina includes photos and brief descriptions of the history, traditions and activities of what it hails as “a year-round charming destination.”

The red marker pinpoints Nymfaio’s location in northern Greece on this map from Google

Beautiful coast and village scenery abounds in Mani, The Luxury of Remoteness — a 4.5-minute video by TAK Films & Frames

Rugged beauty: Thanks to amazing experiences in the Peloponnese during three visits in the past three years, the region has become one of our favourite holiday destinations in Greece. Though we have covered considerable ground, there’s one significant part of the Peloponnese remaining on our bucket list — the Mani.

A rugged and remote peninsula, the Mani appeals to us not only because it’s off the busy tourist routes, but also since its scenic highlights include marvellous coastal landscapes, picturesque fishing ports, charming Byzantine churches and historic ancient sites, and fascinating fortified villages like Vathia, which boasts a striking skyline of imposing stone tower houses.

We’re even more keen to visit the Mani after viewing the video above, which was produced by TAK Film & Frames and posted to its Facebook page just two days ago.

Should watching the 4-and-a-half-minute film pique your own interest or curiosity in the Mani, here are a few articles and online resources you can peruse for further information, inspiration and advice: